The Journey of August King

[ Woman Panting, Brush Rustling ]

[ Hounds Barking Wildly, Travelers Chattering ]

It's a bear! Look at that!

- -

He's a big one. You get back!

Come back here!

[ Wild Barking, Ferocious Growling ]

Get back!

Gracie.

He was one of my bravest-- scars from 14 battles if a one.

I see 'em. Father was a huntin' hound.

Mother, a German dog. Tan.

Might live, you doctor it.

Never get the courage back. I know dogs.

He's mangled her innards! Can't digest bread.

Can chew it anyway.

Come away, Rebecca. They're gonna have to send him up to the fields.

- Why they have to do that? - 'Cause he can't walk anymore.

Come on. Come on.

In the North Carolina mountains,

the early settlers traveled the roads, taking their stock down to the market...

and trekking back up again with supplies and new stock for the months ahead.

Among them was a man named August King.

He had been waiting his turn most of his life,

never doing anything much different from one day to the next.

He was alone on his journey,

walking at his own gait, slow and steady,

making his way home.

M-M-Moo.

Wasn't after you, that old bear.

- - Wasn't after anybody.

- It's all right. -

Lost?

You want to follow this creek...

'til you get to the bridge by the inn.

That's north.

Will you help me?

Oh, no. Can't do that.

Against the law.

- - Did you hit him?

Surely did. Fattest turkey ever seen the light of day!

Had men tracking them two days near Pride,

then they lost them.

Fellow says he saw the boy drinking in the creek down from the bridge a piece.

Heading north, they'll be.

Keeping close to the road, so as not to lose themselves.

Night. Be movin' at night with their cat's eyes.

See better in the dark than they do in the day.

Well, August King!

I see you made it another year.

Sorry about your wife. A sad loss.

I brought the money for your loan.

Old Bolt gonna be cleanest he ever been since he was born.

You paid off a valuable farm now, August.

- How much you give me for it? - You sell it?

No. I'm there for life. Just wonder what it's worth is all.

No river bottomland, that right?

No. It's steep. The rich ones won't buy steep.

You'd think since they can afford slaves to work it--

Don't allow slaves, the community I live in.

Olaf Singletary lost two slaves a few days ago.

A boy and a girl.

Must be the wealthiest man in the mountains, don't you agree?

Thought you were.

So how old was the girl?

Did you see her?

I'll be needin' supplies... and the deed to my land.

The deed to your land! Yes, sir.

Harristown, Harristown.

That's under "H."

Got it right here.

You might mark it paid.

Be best to date it.

Twenty-seven, April,

1815.

*

*

* [ Solo Flute Begins Playing A Gig ]

Who's this long face? Wanna dance with me?

Whoo. I'm no dancer.

- Then I'll teach you. - About done from the trail.

Come on.

What's wrong?

It ain't so bad, is it, that you can't manage a smile for a girl?

I'm sorry.

I want that girl back!

You men find her. I'll pay for your time.

Let your dogs find her.

It's against the law to run off like she's done.

What you offerin', Olaf, for the girl?

Ten acres of land alongside the river.

- Flood? - No, it won't flood.

My man here'll tell you.

Olaf, you're wantin' us to release our dogs, do you a favor-- and it's trouble.

Hurts my conscience, too,

to set dogs on people.

You want slaves; you can tend to 'em.

Five acres more.

That enough on behalf of your conscience?

And one more thing! We'll have that Maryland horse you ride.

And the saddle.

- All right. - What you offerin' for that Sims?

That boy runaway? A grand $70 reward for the man and be damned!

Now I want men watchin' every river crossin',

and any man found helpin' them is a dead man.

Need sugar too.

Looks like you did pretty well for yourself at market.

I bought this cow and geese.

The cow at home's old.

Only chickens at my place.

Bought the young boar to improve my drove.

Managed to make improvements just about every year.

How far away you live? About three days if I hurry.

Might not hurry.

Have they caught Olaf's runaways yet?

Don't know.

That rich man's offerin' a horse for the girl!

Seems like he'll do most anything to get her back.

I have ideas about offerin' a horse for a human.

Set dogs on 'em too.

Get off there. Get down! That's enough.

She must have been in heat!

She never wore that.

That's the boy's shirt. Well, what does she smell like, Olaf?

That's not hers. I told you.

Can we use her a little bit on the way in, Olaf?

I tell you I want her unsullied.

What if she asks for it, Olaf?

Then let her suck your finger!

I demand her back unsullied.

* There

* Was an old man lived up on a hill *

*

* A-singin' hi-di diddly-i-fi hee *

* Diddle-i, diddle-i-day

* When he got her down 'bout half a road *

* Old, old lady she's a hell of a load *

* Singin' hi-diddle-i diddle-i-fi hee *

* A-diddle-i, diddle-i-day

Come here.

Pretty cow.

Hey, August!

- What you been doin' in there, August? - What you think?

Don't I smell corn bread?

Most everyone on the road wants that bounty now.

Sounds like they're on a scent.

He's headin' up through the woods towards here.

You better put that pig in your cart!

What are they tearin' up, August?

That corn bread too? I think so!

What you got there, damn it?

Where'd they go? Where in the hell did they get to?

Now, these dogs struck a trail. Come on!

Corn bread here's still warm.

Bread them dogs is eatin' warm too.

You want to make camp with us? A few more stretches and curves.

Need to ask your name and where you're from.

- I'm August King. - The one whose woman drew the pictures?

My sister said she was the best artist in the country.

She could draw a picture faster than a clown could fall over.

She'd draw me and--

Draw me walkin' down the path.

She used pages right from the Bible.

Why, that's unholy.

Pages from the Bible unholy?

- To draw on them. - She used the ones she didn't care for.

She kept Psalms. Used about half the book of Exodus 'fore she died.

I always wanted her to do Emily and Alice here... in colors.

Well, you can't travel in the dark!

Did I offend him?

Reminded him of his wife too often, I imagine.

Hope I don't die strange as she did.

What you stop for?

Three reports of seein' Sims.

Tomorrow we'll-- we'll catch him.

Lord knows, we'll-- we'll find her too.

Why do you need to find her?

You have so many slaves.

She was like a ray of-- a ray of light to me.

It was a cool night.

When I woke...

I was holdin' a pillow.

Her-- She was gone.

She's the one that's supposed to...